Meet The New Guys: Brad Karli (Annville-Cleona)

Written by: Andy Herr on October 5, 2026

(Cover photo provided by Coach Karli)

In a year marked by turnover at the head coaching ranks in the L-L League entering this season, the Lebanon County schools are no different to the trend. Of the five, three will begin this season with a new head man on the job. Among them, Annville-Cleona. Their new leader at the front of the room? One with plenty of local roots and connections who was most recently inside the collegiate ranks. 

For Coach Brad Karli, taking the helm of the Dutchmen program couldn’t have come at a better time after most recently serving as a loyal assistant to Brad McAlester at Lebanon Valley College for the better part of the last decade before McAlester opted to retire following this past season with the LVC Dutchmen, finishing his tenure as the winningest head coach in the program’s proud history. 

We at LLHoops recently had the opportunity to chat with Coach Karli about his new gig that is quite literally right down the street (which ironically also allows him the luxury of not having to learn another team nickname either), the LebCo and Lancaster County roots that he’s been able to lay down over the years, some of the interesting similarities and differences that figure to come in coming down to the high school ranks from the college game, and of course, most importantly, things to look forward to regarding these Dutchmen — the Annville-Cleona Dutchmen — in both the near and long term future, along with a host of other topics. 

We’re excited to see the juice that Coach Karli figures to bring to The Barn this year and into future while hoping to get A-C back among those traditional section power players. After all, there are only five gyms in the entire league that have a boys’ basketball state championship banner hanging in them. A-C of course being one of the select few.  

Enjoy

Follow LLhoops on Twitter @LLhoops